Marismeño horse: the breed of Doñana and the Saca de las Yeguas
The Marismeño horse is the native breed of the Doñana marshes, in the municipality of Almonte (Huelva). It lives in the wild in the National Park and is rounded up once a year during the "Saca de las Yeguas" (Mare Round-up), a tradition that passes through El Rocío and the streets of Almonte every June 26th. This fact sheet contains official data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's Catalog of Breeds.
Basic data
| Name | Marismeña |
|---|---|
| Classification | Native breed |
| Origin | Guadalquivir marshes, in the Doñana National Park (Huelva) |
| Height at withers | 148 cm for males and 140 cm for females |
| Coat colors | Highly varied; the most frequent are grey, bay, and black |
| Primary use | Leisure |
| Association | National Association of Marismeño Livestock Breeders |
Origin
According to the Ministry, it descends from the primitive horses that inhabited the Guadalquivir marshes and, throughout its history, it was crossed with other breeds, especially from North Africa. Some authors identify it as the Iberian form from which American horses derive, as it was taken to America during Columbus's voyages.
What it is like: morphology
- Overall: Eumetric, with a subconvex profile and sublongilinear proportions, robust and harmonious in both sexes. It is a horse "close to the ground."
- Head and body: Somewhat large head, short neck, deep trunk, and voluminous belly, with medium and thin limbs.
- Movement: Elevated and sure-footed gaits, fast pace, and ease of collection.
- Character: Balanced and gentle, yet lively and resolute in work, with great resistance and hardiness.
The Saca de las Yeguas (Mare Round-up)
The breeding system is free-range grazing in the Doñana marshes. The animals are rounded up into corrals once a year, in the so-called Saca de las Yeguas, to perform basic management tasks; due to the feral nature of the population, this is not simple. That day, which is traditionally June 26th, a fair is held to promote the Marismeño horse, and the passage of the mares through the shrine of El Rocío and through Almonte is a significant date for the entire region.
They are adapted to a very demanding environment: winters with rain and cold and dry, hot summers, during which they cover long distances to drink and eat, without any external food supply.
Reproduction
According to the official file, females reach maturity around 36 months and males around 24. The average age at first foaling is 34 months, and their productive life is around 16 years. The Ministry highlights their ease of foaling even in bad weather.
Breeding program and association
The National Association of Marismeño Livestock Breeders has been recognized since December 1, 2008, to maintain the breed's studbook. Its breeding program was approved by resolution on December 18, 2019.
In Doñana, there also lives another breed with its own file: the Retuertas horse.
More breeds with their own files on our native horse breeds of Spain page.
Sources
- Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Official Catalog of Livestock Breeds of Spain, Marismeña: general data, morphological data, uses and farming system, productive data, breeding program.
